Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has strongly criticised a security meeting chaired by Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, describing it as unconstitutional and an interference in the authority of the elected provincial government.
Addressing a provincial cabinet meeting in Peshawar on Wednesday, Afridi said the governor had no constitutional authority to summon the chief secretary and inspector general of police for a meeting on matters falling under the provincial government’s domain.
He accused the governor of attempting to provoke the provincial administration and said his government would resist any move that undermined the Constitution or democratic institutions.
Afridi also criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party, alleging that its current actions could create divisions similar to those that preceded the separation of East Pakistan. He said his government would not allow any attempt to undermine the country’s unity.
The dispute comes amid heightened tensions between the federal and K-P governments. Questions over the possibility of governor’s rule or an emergency in the province have also intensified amid security concerns and PTI’s planned long march.
Afridi said the K-P government had been elected with a two-thirds majority and that the provincial assembly, cabinet and administration were functioning normally. He said the provincial advocate general would be consulted to determine the constitutional status of the governor’s recent meeting.
The chief minister maintained that the Constitution provides a specific procedure for removing a chief minister and that a no-confidence vote is the appropriate mechanism.
On the security situation, Afridi said terrorism had continued to create serious challenges for K-P. He claimed his administration had strengthened the provincial police, Counter-Terrorism Department and Special Branch since taking office.
He also criticised the federal government for what he described as inadequate financial support for K-P, particularly the newly merged tribal districts. Afridi said the province had yet to receive some of the financial resources promised after the tribal areas were merged with K-P in 2018.
According to the chief minister, around Rs100 billion in compensation for victims in the tribal districts remains outstanding. He said families whose homes were destroyed and communities affected by security operations were still waiting for compensation.
Afridi claimed that the provincial government had spent around Rs21 billion on displaced people since taking charge. He also called for increased federal funding and said K-P should receive its due share under the National Finance Commission arrangements.
The chief minister further criticised the federal security policy, arguing that repeated military operations had failed to produce lasting peace in the province. He said the federal government should reconsider its approach to counterterrorism and claimed that peace could be restored within 100 days if recommendations from provincial stakeholders were implemented.
Afridi rejected allegations that K-P was unwilling to cooperate with the federal government. He pointed to the security situation in Balochistan and argued that cooperation alone had not resolved the problem there either.
He also raised concerns over recent incidents involving provincial officials and PTI workers, alleging that some actions were intended to provoke the provincial government.
Afridi directed the chief secretary and inspector general of police not to comply with any order they considered unconstitutional or illegal. He also ordered an inquiry into the conduct of the Lachi police station house officer following allegations of misconduct and demanded action if the allegations were proven.
